The present invention relates generally to magnetic sensors for reading information signals recorded in a magnetic medium and, more particularly, to an improved magnetoresistive read sensor which utilizes a multilayered, dual spin valve structure and antiferromagnetic exchange coupling to provide a fixed bias field for the sensor.
The prior art discloses a magnetic read transducer referred to as a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor or head which has been shown to be capable of reading data from a magnetic surface at great linear densities. An MR sensor detects magnetic field signals through the resistance changes of a read element fabricated of a magnetic material as a function of the strength and direction of magnetic flux being sensed by the read element. These prior art MR sensors operate on the basis of the anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR) effect in which a component of the read element resistance varies as the square of the cosine (cos.sup.2) of the angle between the magnetization and the direction of sense current flow through the element. A more detailed description of the AMR effect can be found in "Memory, Storage, and Related Applications", D. A. Thompson et al., IEEE Trans. Mag. MAG-11, p. 1039 (1975).
More recently, a different, more pronounced magnetoresistive effect has been described in which the change in resistance of a layered magnetic sensor is attributed to the spin-dependent transmission of the conduction electrons between the magnetic layers through a non-magnetic layer and the accompanying spin-dependent scattering at the layer interfaces. This magnetoresistive effect is variously referred to as the "giant magnetoresistive" or "spin valve" effect. Such a magnetoresistive sensor fabricated of the appropriate materials provides improved sensitivity and greater change in resistance than observed in sensors utilizing the AMR effect. In this type of MR sensor, the in-plane resistance between a pair of ferromagnetic layers separated by a non-magnetic layer varies as the cosine (cos) of the angle between the magnetization in the two layers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,039 to Grunberg describes a layered magnetic structure which yields enhanced MR effects caused by antiparallel alignment of the magnetizations in the magnetic layers. As possible materials for use in the layered structure, Grunberg lists ferromagnetic transition metals and alloys, but does not indicate preferred materials from the list for superior MR signal amplitude. Grunberg further describes the use of antiferromagnetic-type exchange coupling to obtain the antiparallel alignment in which adjacent layers of ferromagnetic materials are separated by a thin interlayer of chromium (Cr) or yttrium (Y).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,590, assigned to the instant assignee, discloses an MR sensor in which the resistance between two uncoupled ferromagnetic layers is observed to vary as the cosine of the angle between the magnetizations of the two layers and which is independent of the direction of current flow through the sensor. This mechanism produces a magnetoresistance that, for selected combinations of materials, is greater in magnitude than the AMR, and is referred to as giant magnetoresistance or the "spin valve" (SV) magnetoresistance.
Co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/937,620 filed Aug. 28, 1992, assigned to the instant assignee, discloses an MR sensor based on the above-described effect which includes two thin film layers of ferromagnetic material separated by a thin film layer of a non-magnetic metallic material and in which the magnetization of one ferromagnetic layer is maintained perpendicular to the magnetization of the other ferromagnetic layer at zero externally applied magnetic field by exchange coupling with an adjacent layer of antiferromagnetic material.